'I've stepped up from last year' – Second place for Florian Lipowitz at Tour of Romandie provides extra lift toward Tour de France

Florian Lipowitz secured a strong second-place overall finish at the 2026 Tour de Romandie, marking a significant improvement from his previous performances. While he was unable to match the dominant Tadej Pogačar, who claimed victory with a clear margin, Lipowitz proved to be the best of the rest, consistently challenging the world champion throughout the six-day race. His efforts included three runner-up stage finishes and a final deficit of just 42 seconds to Pogačar, with a comfortable lead of over two minutes ahead of third place. Lipowitz’s performance was bolstered by solid team support from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, which he credited for his strong showing. He described feeling confident during the final stage, even attempting a bold move in the closing kilometres to test his rivals, ultimately ending up alongside Pogačar before the sprint. Despite the Slovene’s unassailable sprint to the line, Lipowitz’s resilience and tactical awareness underlined his growth as a contender in stage racing. This result adds to a promising season for the 25-year-old, who has now stood on the podium in three tours this year, including a third-place finish at last year’s Tour de France. Lipowitz expressed satisfaction with his progress, noting that his form and fitness have improved steadily since the Catalonia race earlier in the season. He is now looking forward to a period of rest before building towards the Tour de France, where he will ride alongside Remco Evenepoel, aiming to further elevate his performance. The Tour de Romandie also highlighted emerging talent within the team, with 21-year-old Australian neo-pro Luke Tuckwell finishing sixth overall, signalling a bright future for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s roster. Lipowitz’s encouraging results and the team’s depth suggest positive momentum as they prepare for the summer’s grand tours and other key races in the calendar.